Dolphin tattoos are monuments to the charismatic and intelligent creature of the sea that share a long and diverse history with humanity. They can be portrayed seriously as works of art or whimsically as is the case in the picture. The symbolism of dolphin tattoos go back thousands of years, all the way back to ancient Sumeria. In Sumeria, dolphins were connected to Ea-Oannes, the deity of the sea, and sometimes with the goddess Isis in Egypt. The Celts associated the dolphin with the healing power of water, and the image of people riding dolphins is seen on some Celtic artifacts. Some Australian Aboriginal tribes claim to be direct descendants of dolphins, who are sometimes regarded as guardian spirits. Early man was fascinated by the obvious intelligence of dolphins and their ability to herd schools of fish to make it easier to prey upon them. The dolphin is also an important symbol in European heraldry, and is often featured on Heraldic coats-of-arms, and represents diligence, salvation, charity and love. Dolphins can also represent whimsy and a innocent child like sense of humor. Regardless of whether the dolphin tattoo is chosen as a living tribute to an amazing animal or because of it’s deep symbolism, it’s a classy choice that fits in with most any other tattoo motifs.
The dolphin tattoo in the picture is both fun and whimsical. But, did you know that dolphin tattoos have a great history and symbolism behind them as well. For ancient cultures, dolphins were symbols of intelligence and freedom of thought. That’s probably because these people observed how intelligent these creatures were. I mean dolphins have been known to assist fishermen and even save people who have fallen into the water. And they have been doing it for thousands of years and this fact is well represented in literature and history. If you ever go into a museum that displays Greek art then you can witness this fact for yourself. They are often depicted as steeds of the gods, a position that one shouldn’t take too lightly, because the gods would not have an animal that didn’t have some intelligence as their mounts. The dolphin tattoo in the picture depicts one of these mammals in a style you see a lot these days. It has a cartoony quality to it that many women find fascinating. It’s a little off according to my personal tastes however. I think that this design is a little too crude and could have been done by a third grader. I have nothing against cute, but let’s keep it professional people.
